A conventional process for mounting the rear seat back in an automotive vehicle to the vehicle body structure consists of suspending the seat back adjacent its upper edge from a hook structure and fixedly securing the bottom of the seat back to structure fixed to the vehicle floor. This is generally accomplished by providing a wire or rod extending laterally across the seat back for engagement in an upward opening hook structure fixed to a generally vertical body panel against which the seat back is to be positioned.
Disadvantages have been noted in employing this seat back mounting process in certain vehicles. One results from the fact that modern styling trends often call for an inward curvature of the pillar structure defining the passenger compartment of the vehicle at positions adjacent the rear seat. Since suspending the seat on the upstanding hook structure necessitates lifting the entire seat above the hook and dropping it down into engagement, rubbing interference with the outboard corners of the seat back against the interior surfaces of the vehicle can hinder installation.
A second disadvantage arises from the lack of dimensional tolerance compensation inherent with attempting to mount the seat through engagement with two widely separated surfaces, such as the upper hook and the lower securement.